My First Berliner Record

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

Cheers for clearing that up Andreas

[AmberolaAndy]

I dislike paying more than $30 for a single record.

You answered your own question

That’s the thing with me. I’ll spend all this money on equipment. But records, I want as many for as little as possible. lol. I guess the time I found those pre-dog victors for 50 cents each is not a very common occurrence eh?

[epigramophone]

When the Gramophone Company arrived in London in August 1898, they set up a recording studio in the basement of a hotel at 31 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. I have walked past 31 Maiden Lane and as of a couple of decades ago, the building was still there.

The recording of discs to the zinc blanks and the chromic acid bath I believe was done at the studio. But I recall Fred Gaisberg said that the cost of British labor for record pressing was high. Gaisberg had relatives in Hannover where the labor cost was less hence pressing was done there for the Gramophone Company for many years.

The finished product was sent from Hannover to the UK for sale.

An excellent book describing the earliest days of the Gramophone Company is the Gaisberg biography written by British musicologist Jerrold Northop Moore entitled "A Voice in Time".

According to the EMI Archives the first sample records from Hanover, pressed from American Berliner matrices, were received in London on 11th June 1898. Fred Gaisberg did not leave New York for London until 23rd July 1898.

The commercial Hanover pressing plant, initially comprising ten record presses, was set up in Joseph Berliner's telephone factory in August 1898, and on 24th November 1898 the Berliner brothers Emile, Jacob and Joseph formed the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft mbH.

Commercial record pressing at the Hayes, Middlesex factory commenced in July 1908.

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

Thank you. I will definitely have to buy this book. Cheers.

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

A quick question. How much would one of these records have cost back in the day? If somebody in 1898 wished to purchase one in a shop, how much would they have to fork out (in both Dollars and Pounds, so I can get an idea of what they'd have cost on both sides of the pond)? Also, in these early days of records, where did people buy them? Were there specific shops, or simply another commodity in a general goods shop? Would be interesting to find out.

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

The record arrived safe and sound today (can finally breath a massive sigh of relief!). It is in fantastic condition and plays well. It is very hard to make out the singing on it, but there is a really amazing section where the singer is laughing, and sounds perfectly audible Curiously when I tried to play it at 78rpm it sounded way too fast. I dropped the speed to around 40rpm or something like that and it sounded a lot better. Is this normal for Berliner discs? Even more curious, the record did not have ''Reproduced in Hanover'' embossed on the back (I have uploaded a picture to show the completely blank back). Does this mean the disc was actually made in London? Any help in answering these questions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

[OrthoSean]

Speed-wise, Berliners seem to play best from around 65-70 RPM. I've never heard one needing to be down as slow as 40, all of mine and those I have transferred all seem to fit in the above speed bracket.

Hope this helps a bit.

Sean

[donniej]

The very, very early UK/European Berliners did not have "Reproduced in Hanover" on the back, which is why I asked previously. Congratulations on a lucky find! The following is my own speculation based on observation, not to be mistaken for fact... The very first discs in UK/Europe lacked the recording angel and "reproduced in Hanover", I'm guessing the angel was introduced only shortly before the "Hanover" verbiage. I believe all discs were pressed in Hanover, it simply wasn't stated until a few months after production.

On an unrelated note, there were some discs pressed out of odd materials. I have one early disc which is slightly flexible and contains horse hair or cotton fibers. Jack Stanley has mentioned coming across similar discs.

[Josh Cattermole 1999]

That's really great info. Thanks for your thoughts.

[epigramophone]

A quick question. How much would one of these records have cost back in the day? If somebody in 1898 wished to purchase one in a shop, how much would they have to fork out (in both Dollars and Pounds, so I can get an idea of what they'd have cost on both sides of the pond)? Also, in these early days of records, where did people buy them? Were there specific shops, or simply another commodity in a general goods shop? Would be interesting to find out.

This c1900 advertisement shows that in the USA records were 50 cents each. The exchange rate was $4.86 to £1 (wish it still was) so you do the maths.

In the early days most UK record dealers hedged their bets by stocking other lines, notably bicycles.